Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Your
"Horridly Absent" "As In Late" "Horrifically
Horrendous Host" is back with another “Horror-Mood Horror Book Review”

By way of
introduction, readers of horror film books about the legendary Hammer Films
Studios are no doubt familiar with the name of author and acclaimed Hammer Film
expert Wayne Kinsey… Kinsey, who made his debut with a 24 issue series of
prozines which chronicled the history of the fabled British film outfit under
the title of “The House That Hammer Built” along with an additional “Dracula
Special”, went on to write two of the most sought after tomes about the UK film
house, “Hammer Films - The Bray Studios Years” and its follow up volume,
“Hammer Films - The Elstree Studios Years” for Tomahawk Press… After the
success of these initial efforts, Kinsey would go on to script two additional
volumes for Tomahawk, “Hammer Films - A Life In Pictures” and Hammer Films -
The Unsung Heroes”… For his next effort, “Hammer Films On Location”, Kinsey (along with Steve Kirkham) made the decision to set up
his own publishing house under the banner, Peveril Publishing… Besides “On
Location”, Peveril’s catalogue has grown to include “The Peter Cushing
Scrapbook”, “Hammer’s Film Legacy”, “Running Scared”, the “Fantastic Films Series”,
The Hammer Film Scrapbook Series” and “A Portrait Of She”…

Which brings
us to Peveril Publishing and Kinsey’s current release, “Inside Bray Studios:
The Complete Story Of Hammer’s House Studio”…

If you are a
fan of Hammer Films Bray Studios output of films (from 1951’s Cloudburst to
1966’s The Mummy’s Shroud) then you will find this history of Bray Studios to
be the most thoroughly researched tome to see publication to date.

Instead of
breaking the book down for you after having read it cover to cover, I decided
to post Peveril’s description of the contents of the book here for your
perusal and approval…

“Hammer films took Down Place, a dilapidated
mansion on the Thames outside Windsor, and turned it into the most unique film
studio in England. Here we trace its history from Hammer and beyond to its
closure with plans to develop the site into housing. We take you on a virtual
tour of the studio, outside and inside, showing how Hammer developed it into a
working studio. We’ll show how Hammer developed cramped space at the front of
the studio into a back lot building set complexes which seemed huge on film.
Hammer left the studio in 1966 to produce films in the larger studios but we
show how they continued to use the studio for special effects on Moon Zero Two and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.

Then
we explore the incredible amount of film, TV and music work that went on in the
studio after Hammer. We show how Hammer’s old stage 2 that housed their first
Frankenstein set became the home for the model effects on Alien. Gerry
Anderson made it a home for work on Space 1999, Terrahawks and Dick Spanner; the team on Terrahawks share their memories of
working at Bray.

We have 3 separate chapters on the 1998, 1999
and 2007 Bray open days organised by Donald Fearney and Simon Greetham with
loads of photos, many sent in by fellow fans showing the assembled guests and
fans enjoying three incredible days at the studio.

We end with the sad demise of the studio
showing evidence of the chronic damp damage that destroyed the interior of Down
Place and the redevelopment plans to save it by converting into housing. At the
moment the doors have been opened again temporarily to some productions as the
redevelopment plans are finalised, but the photos will show that already the
interior of the house has been gutted to its bare timbers to follow the extent
of the dry rot damage and part of the studio has already had to be demolished
because it was beyond repair and risking the integrity of the rest of the core
house. A fascinating story that still continues.

This beautiful hardcover book clocks in at 344
pages in length with an excellent introduction by Wayne Kinsey followed by
Kinsey’s main copy of the book, which is enjoyable, informative and thoroughly
researched”…

Visually the
book is stunning, with Steve Kirkham’s Tree Frog Communications design and
layout work as always exemplary (coming from one graphic designer to another)
and I’ve peppered this review • overview with a plethora of numerous examples
of his outstanding work which one must surely hold a physical copy of in their
hands in order to truly appreciate Mr. Kirkham’s craftsmanship…

I can only give this tome my highest recommendation and it
is a must have for the Hammer Films completist and film purist…

Please note
that this book is only available as a numbered limited edition of 800 copies
and is available only direct from the publisher (it is not available in book
stores or other online markets)… I’ve included the link in this review below as
well as in the links section…

In closing,
your “Repulsive Reviewer” can only say that these will go fast so… …Miss It
Not…